LE&E operations in Youngstown, OH

What was the LE&E's primary function? What were the approximate numbers and types of trains on this route?

It seems to me it was a P&LE/NYC subsidiary and had a double track main that ran across high fills/bridges/viaducts from east of Youngstown, OH to Girard, OH.

Did PC make use of this routing after the PRR/NYC merger in 1968? The route appeared superior to that of the PRR PY&A. Did Conrail ever run any trains on it?

When were the track and bridge structures removed?

Thank you,

DED

Having spent as little time as possible in the beautiful Mahoning Valley, I can't answer most of your questions, but can give a slight bit of background.

The LE&E was jointly owned by the P&LE and the Mahoning Coal Railroad, which was a direct NYC subsidiary that it had inherited from the LS&MS. It was incorporated in 1912, making it a latecomer on the scene, and it may not have been in operation until 1915. When PC was created in 1968, it inherited the NYC's half, and the P&LE kept the other half, but I don't know what happened to it afterward.

Nor do I know its original purpose, but two things come to mind. First, the NYC-LE&P line from Cleveland to Youngstown (mentioned in my other post) opened in 1911 or 1912, and the LE&E was used as part of this route to get NYC trains to the P&LE. Second, Mahoning Valley industry was at the height of its expansion at this time, and it's possible that the LE&E was used as a direct access to some of this industry. That part is just a guess, but the NYC Cleveland route is for sure.